So i made my first batch of bone broth from beef hoofs. I used simple 3.5lbs in a 5 qt crockpot with garlic and onions. After the 24 hr slow cook i stored it in the fridge. I noticed there is a thick layer of oil on top of the broth - it is not solid yet but i SHOULD remove it once it becomes solid but not drink it right? I am really worried that my bone broth batch will be tons of calories.... will the broth be OK if i just remove the top fat layer?

I remove it but keep it frozen so that I can add it a bit extra if I need/want it. It's not hard to shave off a bit into the soup. I then heat it and send it through the blender like I do my BPC, so it doesn't just sit on the top.

cool. I read that that you can keep it in the fridge for 3 days and freezer for months so i put some in the freezer. is there a way to unfreeze it or just put it in the fridge and wait? and i assume after unfreeze it i have 3 days before it goes bad?

I actually leave the fat, but I also don't count calories. I work out enough that I never come anywhere close to what is recommended for me to eat on workout days and am usually about 200-400 calories less than what is recommended when workouts are not considered, and I am in the "i don't believe in calories" camp

I generally portion out into smaller bowls. A whole batch is too much to eat in three days. I will say that if you heat to boiling and leave boiling for 15 mins you can lengthen the time you can keep it. The heating kills the nasties.

I usually scrape the solid layer of fat off, but not perfectly. Fat tastes good in the soup, but I like a little, not as much as a good broth produces.

Here's my recommendation for freezing: I put about 2 or 3 cups worth of broth in ice cube trays, and when they are solid I transfer them to a freezer bag. This is very convenient if you just need a little broth for a recipe or making gravy or you want to thaw enough to sip in a mug. I also freeze some in 2 cup containers--that's about the same size as a can of broth, and I use it the same way I would a can of broth. I also try to have some of the fresh broth, either for sipping or making a soup.

If you have a friend who is sick, the broth cubes make a nice gift--they can heat them up and have as much or as little as they want at the time. I'm getting known as the "broth cube lady" for people I know who are sick.

ok so i noticed the same cup i took picture with that i didnt finish has another layer of white fat again. is it because i saved some meat/fat that came off of the bones so when heated more fat came off? maybe i should get rid of all the meat the next time?

Fat is good in this WOE, but if you do not like the way it tastes, I would remove it.

It is very good for you, please do not avoid it for fear of calories. Some calorie counting sites have estimates. The estimate I found was 70 calories for a 8oz serving, so that is pretty low calorie, but again, I feel that calories are not the most important thing, and may not really matter at all.

What boned meat are y'all using for the broth? I have ox tail but I'm interested in what other cuts are good.

the first several I made were with chickens (I would go get the organic whole roast chickens from Whole foods and take the meat off to eat during the week and put the rest in for the bone broth) but the local meat shop has great grassfed marrow disks and I bought those for my most recent batch. I like it even better than the chicken bone broth.

I also found that I am removing a bit of the fat in the beef marrow broth because it is super fatty.

I would cook the oxtails for eating, not for bone broth! I LOVE oxtails.

To answer your question, I don't buy bones specifically to make bone broth; I use cooked bones from meals we've eaten and would otherwise throw away. I just toss them into the freezer until I have enough to fill at least one stock pot.

I keep chicken/turkey bones in one bag, and pork/beef/lamb bones in another, because I make two different broths. Both my poultry bone broth and red meat bone broth come out rich and flavorful, and definitely gelatinous.

cool. I read that that you can keep it in the fridge for 3 days and freezer for months so i put some in the freezer. is there a way to unfreeze it or just put it in the fridge and wait? and i assume after unfreeze it i have 3 days before it goes bad?

I just leave it on the counter to thaw, or throw it frozen into the dish I'm making. If I want the broth to drink, I'll heat it from frozen in the microwave.

And honestly, I've kept it in the fridge longer than three days many a time.

i made a 2nd batch of bone broth this time using celery, carrots, chicken feet, beef tail bone and a much larger crockpot. I made sure to discard everything to make it as lean as possible. One thing i noticed is the broth in my container did not "gel" like the first batch but still in liquid form under a layer of fat. Does this mean the broth is leaner or something else?

i made a 2nd batch of bone broth this time using celery, carrots, chicken feet, beef tail bone and a much larger crockpot. I made sure to discard everything to make it as lean as possible. One thing i noticed is the broth in my container did not "gel" like the first batch but still in liquid form under a layer of fat. Does this mean the broth is leaner or something else?

Why are you trying to make your food leaner? I know the gel is supposed to be a good thing, but I don't actually know why. I seem to remember it being good for joints... I don't remember for sure though

When it's gelatinous, that means it's full of glucosamine and chondroitin, which are great for joint health. All the cartilage that's in joints? That's what's in them, and that's what we need for joint health. Getting them from natural sources is more bioavailable, meaning it's easier for our bodies to access and put it straight to use.

Bone broth done correctly also has the minerals that come from the bone itself.

If your second batch of bone broth didn't gel, that's probably because all (of most of) the good stuff was given over to the first batch. Also, if you used a "much larger pot," you may have added too much water. I use barely a handful of veggie scraps, fill the lot with bones, and just enough water to barely cover the bones. Too much water means it won't gel either.

When it's gelatinous, that means it's full of glucosamine and chondroitin, which are great for joint health. All the cartilage that's in joints? That's what's in them, and that's what we need for joint health. Getting them from natural sources is more bioavailable, meaning it's easier for our bodies to access and put it straight to use.

Why are you trying to make your food leaner? I know the gel is supposed to be a good thing, but I don't actually know why. I seem to remember it being good for joints... I don't remember for sure though

i actually didn't make it leaner - i did use more water since it is 2 qts more. The bone weight was the same 3.5lbs or so. I added few chicken feet too. The new additions would be the veggies which i didn't put in last time (just onions and garlic last time). I did use pork bone last time so maybe more fat from that? Maybe my next batch i will use pork bone and see how it goes..

i actually didn't make it leaner - i did use more water since it is 2 qts more. The bone weight was the same 3.5lbs or so. I added few chicken feet too. The new additions would be the veggies which i didn't put in last time (just onions and garlic last time). I did use pork bone last time so maybe more fat from that? Maybe my next batch i will use pork bone and see how it goes..

Ok, you said you discarded everything to make it as lean as possible. There is no need to do this, but if you do not like the taste of so much fat that is a good thing to do. I ended up removing a some fat the last time I made some because the taste of it was just a little overwhelming for me.

Our bodies prefer to burn fat when they are fed fat, I just don't want you to be afraid of it